Whiplash and Soft Tissue Injuries: Common and Vigorously Defended in Minnesota Courts
Whiplash, a non-medical term, is used to describe significant pain following an injury to the soft tissues in the neck, including ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Whiplash is caused by abrupt motion or force applied to the neck that results movement beyond the neck's normal range of motion. Whiplash frequently occurs in motor vehicle accidents - even minor impact collisions.
With soft tissue injuries, the signs of a problem often don't present themselves right away. But, experts agree that the sooner you feel pain the more severe the injury is likely to be. Symptoms of a soft tissue injury to the neck include pain, swelling, tenderness, spasm, reduced range of motion, headache, and pain or tingling shooting from the neck through the shoulders or arms.
The ideal time to call your physician is immediately following the injury. Depending upon how serious your accident, an EMT may place a cervical collar around the neck to isolate movement until a doctor can visit with you and examine the areas of concern.
Whiplash cases are vigorously defended by insurers because they know juries are very skeptical about awarding large amounts of money for an injury that can't be seen. They often rely on the theory that because there is no "objective sign of injury" (such as an x-ray or MRI scan), jurors are left to simply question the credibility of the injury victim's "subjective complaints."
It is important to retain the services of a personal injury attorney who regularly handles such matters and has a reputation for trying cases. The insurance company is much more likely to offer a fair settlement early-on if they know they are going to have to spend tens of thousands of dollars defending a case against a good trial lawyer.
Car accidents are a major cause of whiplash and soft tissue injury to the neck and back. Even a minor accident may result in significant pain and suffering, wage loss and medical bills. Our Minnesota car accident lawyers understand the need to obtain fair compensation for injury victims and their family members. To contact our firm, call 763-323-6555 or complete our free online consultation form.
